Flying with a firearm?

[KrisDSA]

I fly all the time with my pistols all over the US for competitions. 14 times in 2014.

Do not use a TSA lock of any kind.

Do use a hard sided case that can not be easily pried open. I've used the suitcase sized pelican case with multiple locks on it and counted the whole thing as my case. Or I've also just used a small plastic pistol box with it sufficiently locked and in my regular luggage. The pelican case requires you to pack light though as it is 20lbs itself empty.

The very worst things that I had happen this year were:
-the gate agent saying very loudly "we got a gun here!" to the baggage handler. so much for low profile..
-the somali baggage handler telling me "oh i see guns all the time and i always follow the bag around." sets off my paranoia about baggage theft.
-multiple airlines asking me to take my pistol out of the case and demonstrate it was unloaded and "safed".
-multiple gate agents taking the plasctic case out and trying to break into it, right there at the ticket counter.
-gate agent telling me, "i wont do a ticket for a customer with a gun" and asking for someone else to help me.
-almost every single airline asking me for my key and giving tsa access to my firearm while i am not present. against federal rules and airline policy. but evidently more expedient for their luggage processing. i have taken names down with the threat of "you took my key, you took my gun out away from my presence. if i land and my gun is not there i am holding you criminally liable"

And I will second that CA is pretty horrible generally when I fly with a pistol. But Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey have all given me waaaayyyy more nervous worry about my firearm travel than CA.

that is nuts about NJ because that is where I fly to the most and the never had a problem.

[SkyHawk]

Good video worth watching here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm2VxXkED4Q

[Dragon]

Yes, use your own lock. The info posted by Rick is correct.

Now, there was another post some time ago where a flyer was ordered by the TSA to provide the combo (key maybe, I can't remember) to the lock so they might inspect the firearm, after a prolonged conversation back and forth, as I recall he gave it up rather than be yanked off the plane and delayed unduly.

I'll see of I can find the thread. Or if someone else has it handy, post it up.

I think It was Lorax' s thread, could be wrong.

[SonofWWIIDI]

Found it!

I remember that thread. My search-fu seems to be lacking today but I recall the thread title to be something along the line of "Did I do something illegal".

Close. But your recollection hit the mark for me, and I found the link.

I think It was Lorax' s thread, could be wrong.

Correct.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=912511

[FourT6and2]

I fly all the time with my pistols all over the US for competitions. 14 times in 2014.

Do not use a TSA lock of any kind.

Do use a hard sided case that can not be easily pried open. I've used the suitcase sized pelican case with multiple locks on it and counted the whole thing as my case. Or I've also just used a small plastic pistol box with it sufficiently locked and in my regular luggage. The pelican case requires you to pack light though as it is 20lbs itself empty.

The very worst things that I had happen this year were:
-the gate agent saying very loudly "we got a gun here!" to the baggage handler. so much for low profile..
-the somali baggage handler telling me "oh i see guns all the time and i always follow the bag around." sets off my paranoia about baggage theft.
-multiple airlines asking me to take my pistol out of the case and demonstrate it was unloaded and "safed".
-multiple gate agents taking the plasctic case out and trying to break into it, right there at the ticket counter.
-gate agent telling me, "i wont do a ticket for a customer with a gun" and asking for someone else to help me.
-almost every single airline asking me for my key and giving tsa access to my firearm while i am not present. against federal rules and airline policy. but evidently more expedient for their luggage processing. i have taken names down with the threat of "you took my key, you took my gun out away from my presence. if i land and my gun is not there i am holding you criminally liable"

And I will second that CA is pretty horrible generally when I fly with a pistol. But Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey have all given me waaaayyyy more nervous worry about my firearm travel than CA.

Ever flown with a long gun? Or into/out of NY (JFK/LaGuardia)?

[Jimi Jah]

UPS is your friend.

[dfletcher]

And I will second that CA is pretty horrible generally when I fly with a pistol. But Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey have all given me waaaayyyy more nervous worry about my firearm travel than CA.

The times I've flown out of SFO with a pistol have resulted in me clearing the gun at the counter with no issues. Once I was brought down to TSA where they checked the gun - been a while, don't recall if they kept the bag or handed it back to me. But it was all very routine.

I'm flying to Boston tomorrow and maintain my MA nonres LTC just to be safe. I think most folks are a little surprised at the presence of so many "staties" at Logan. Having friends in their ranks, I hesitate to use the term "police state" but it's hard to go through Logan without having that thought.